1985 Atypical Die Clash ADC-25C-1985-01

Description

Greg Bowyer submitted this 1985 Washington quarter for inclusion in the MadDieClashes catalog, where it received the designation ADC-25c-1985-01. Described as a "dual sides" die clash, this atypical clash variety shows transferred design elements on both the obverse and reverse surfaces — evidence that the obverse and reverse dies made direct contact without a planchet between them, impressing portions of each die's design into the face of the other. Standard die clashes on Washington quarters typically produce recognizable transferred elements: traces of the eagle's wings or tail feathers appearing on the obverse near Washington's portrait, or the outline of the bust truncation appearing on the reverse. Atypical die clashes, however, exhibit unusual or unexpected transfer patterns that may result from the dies contacting at an angle, with foreign material between them, or with one die in a partially retracted position. Philadelphia struck clad Washington quarters in 1985 under John Flanagan's design, which had been in continuous production since 1932. The dual-sided nature of this clash makes it particularly interesting for error collectors, as both sides of each struck coin carry the transferred design elements — the obverse shows reverse design intrusions while the reverse shows obverse design intrusions, creating a complementary pair of clash marks that can be studied in conjunction.

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